JCAA is an association composed of many clubs throughout our state that represents thousands of recreational anglers throughout our state. At a recent meeting, representatives from various clubs discussed Recreational Sector Separation for Summer Flounder, Scup, Black Sea Bass, and Bluefish as well as data collection for recreational anglers.
Our member clubs are unanimously opposed to sector separation. We believe that sector separation is unfair. An example of this is the current bluefish regulations. Kids are often introduced to fishing by catching snapper bluefish from the docks of the bay. Traditionally they would bring home a good amount to eat but are now restricted to only keeping three each. On the other hand, customers of the for-hire fleet are allowed to bring home five blues per person. It is far harder to locate and catch bluefish from shore than in a boat. If anything, sector separation should be between boat anglers and shore anglers rather than between the private and for-hire fleets. Another example is fluke. It is far more difficult to catch a legal fluke from shore than from a boat. There are people who can’t afford to go out on a boat, who would like to bring fish home to eat. Where is the social justice that NOAA was talking about?
Further, sector separation will create in-fighting amongst the two sectors and they will be less likely to work together on other issues. The document states that the amendment would allow each sector to tailor regulations to their particular needs. What that really means is that the for-hire fleet will receive more favorable regulations than private anglers. We understand they need to earn a living, but so do tackle stores, marinas, and other fishing businesses that depend on private anglers. Having different regulations for the two sectors also creates confusion amongst anglers and makes enforcement more difficult for our law enforcement officers. It will also likely lead to more incidents of non-compliance from angry anglers who believe they are being treated unfairly.
We understand that some states already have separate regulations for the for-hire and private sectors for certain species. It should be the prerogative of the individual states to do so, provided they have the data to develop their regulations through conservation equivalency. We believe it would be wrong to force sector separation to each of the states that prefer not to have it.
Should sector separation be pursued, we believe that the Council and Commission should not set limits on the ability to obtain or retain federal for-hire permits. Again, this is about fairness. However, our view on this is tied to our belief that the for-hire fleet must have their own quotas if sector separation is adopted. Lastly, we believe that better data is needed before any sector splits are considered.
JCAA has always supported the collection of more accurate data as it would allow our fisheries managers to better manage our fisheries for sustainability. That would result in quotas and regulations being set with more confidence. They would then more likely be accepted by our recreational anglers.
We would like to see some form of catch reporting by private anglers fishing from a boat as well as those fishing from the shore. However, finding a way to collect valid data may prove to be somewhat difficult. Mandatory reporting by private anglers would not be well received and with our law enforcement personnel understaffed in many areas, it would likely not be enforced. Mandatory tournament reporting might be more acceptable. However, the data obtained from tournaments would be skewed as tournament anglers catch far more and far larger fish than the average angler. The same goes for volunteer angler surveys as it is usually the more experienced anglers who submit reports.
You need to find some way to collect reports from the average angler. We have the MRIP program but their surveys only capture a very small percentage of anglers and in many cases result in very inaccurate data. Doing more in person surveys might help but with the current government cutbacks, there would likely be insufficient manpower to do this. However, possibly volunteers could be used.
Contacting anglers through state registries or saltwater fishing licenses might be feasible. This could be done similarly as to how data is collected for bluefin tuna. Anglers would be selected randomly to participate in the surveys but only for a specific period of time. A user-friendly format for electronic reporting from a phone or computer would probably be the best option. However, this could be supplemented through phone calls, emails or regular mail. Offering a chance at a reward of some sort for participating would be a good incentive. I am sure that many manufacturers would be willing to donate rods, reels and other tackle for this purpose.